Dog Food Recall

[sea4th]

When I feed Diamond, it's usually the Chicken Soup or Lamb & Rice, so apparently, that's OK.

 

http://www.diamondpet.com/DiamondPet/news.php

[juliepoudrier]

Thanks for the heads-up Vicki. I feed Diamond premium and Chicken soup. Unfortunately I just went to the dump on Sunday and threw away the bags from my most recent purchase (which, incidentally, smelled a bit funny to me). In fact because of the smell I did check the "best used by" date and remember it being 07, but don't remember the month. Guess I'll just haul it back to the store and hope Diamond will make good on it.

 

J.

[Pipedream Farm]

THANK YOU.

 

We just got 3 bags and they are affected by the notice.

Of course the store manager was clueless about the "hold" and cannot do anything till her boss is contacted by Diamond.

 

Mark

[Pipedream Farm]

The latest new release....

 

NEWS ALERT:

 

We have received two calls regarding one product code. In both cases, dogs are sick with symptoms consistent with aflatoxin exposure. Tests on this specific date code are pending, but due to the nature of the communications received from the field, we have elected to post this code: DMD1001JC32GJL____, BB 11Apr07.

 

This is a Diamond Maintenance Dog Formula code. If you have a bag from this same batch, the following portion of the code will be identical: DMD1001JC32GJL____, BB 11APR07. If your code does not match this exactly, we have not received complaints or test results regarding your food yet. The last four digits of the code will vary. As soon as test results are available, they will be posted. If you have a bag from this particular batch, please contact your veterinarian. Tests are being performed on samples at 30 minute intervals during the entire production run. The times from the batch codes from these two calls are 1034 and 1152. The time is shown in the last four digits of the code

 

Source: Diamond Pet Foods

Mark

[juliepoudrier]

I'll post this on both threads. I e-mailed Diamond because I had recently purchased a bag of their premium to mix with the Chicken Soup (what I always do). AS I was mixing I noticed an odd (off) smell and realized it was the premium food. I checked the date on the bag and it was sometime in 2007, so I figured the food shouldn't be bad. I checked the ingredient list to see if there was a change there (and I have also asked this of the rep who contacted me). Since I made a dump run on Sunday, I no longer have the bag.

 

Anyway, here's what the Diamond person said: Aflatoxin would not cause a smell, so you won't know if the food you feed is affected unless you can check the bag.

 

For my case, he offered to refund me for both bags of food (since the Chix Soup had been mixed with the bad-smelling premium food) AND send me a new bag via UPS.

 

I'm telling y'all this because I think at least in my case, Diamond has provided excellent customer service and has done the right thing.

 

J.

[Pipedream Farm]

FYI

 

All animals, birds, and fish are susceptible to aflatoxins, with birds and fish being the most sensitive. In pets (dogs, cats, birds, fish), the liver is the primary target organ. Aflatoxins are also immunosuppressive, nephrotoxic, and carcinogenic. Dogs and cats are extremely sensitive. The LD50 of aflatoxin B1 in dogs is 0.5-1.0 mg/kg and in cats is 0.3-0.6 mg/kg. Feeds containing aflatoxin B1 concentrations of 60 ppb or greater have caused outbreaks of aflatoxicosis in companion animals. As with other toxic compounds, sensitivity depends on individual suscepti-bility, which in turn depends on age, hormonal status (pregnancy), and nutritional status, among other factors. For example, young pregnant pets are more sensitive to aflatoxin B1 toxicity than adult or nonpregnant animals. Among pets, birds and fish are the most sensitive to aflatoxins; feed containing as low as 5 ppb aflatoxin B1 can cause acute mortality.

 

Improved analytical methods and screening of grains for aflatoxins have tremendously reduced the incidence of aflatoxicosis in companion animals. In the 1990s there was one documented case in the U.S., where dogs consumed food containing 100-300 ppb aflatoxin B1 for 3-4 months. In the 1980s there was one documented case of aflatoxicosis, where several dogs died suddenly or following a short clinical course. Analysis of various batches of feed yielded 100-300 ppb aflatoxin B1 in the feed. In contrast, several cases were reported in dogs in or prior to the 1970s, including one case where several died in New York after being fed a commercial diet containing 60 ppb aflatoxin B1.

 

Clinical canine aflatoxicosis can be categorized as acute, subacute, or chronic. Acute aflatoxicosis occurs when dogs are given feed containing large amounts of aflatoxin B1 (>1 ppm in diet). Usually, an affected dog will vomit within hours of ingesting contaminated feed, followed by anorexia, severe depression, increased thirst and consumption of water, and increased urine volume output, with death occurring within 3 days of onset. Because the liver is the primary target organ, animals may be jaundiced and urine will contain increased bilirubin. There is a significant elevation of serum liver enzymes, especially AST, ALT, and LDH. Another significant observation is disseminated intravascular coagulation, which usually occurs terminally. Severe bleeding occurs in body cavities and on submucosal and subserosal surfaces. There is hematochezia, and dogs may vomit blood. The bleeding disorder is characterized by hypofibrinogenemia, increased one-stage PT, prolonged APTT, and severe thrombocytopenia. Because of bleeding, dogs are usually anemic. Fever is not a characteristic of aflatoxicosis in companion animals.

 

Subacute cases in companion animals occur following exposure to moderate amounts of aflatoxin B1 over a few weeks (2-3). Affected dogs or cats will present with lethargy, anorexia, polyuria, polydipsia, elevated liver enzymes, and jaundice. Death usually follows DIC. Dietary aflatoxin B1 concentrations of 500-1000 ppb may cause these signs. Chronic aflatoxicosis is caused by consumption of diets containing small to moderate amounts of aflatoxins either continuously or intermittently. Dietary concentrations of aflatoxin B1 between 50 and 300 ppb over a period of 6-8 weeks may cause chronic aflatoxicosis. Dogs or cats will have clinical signs similar to subacute aflatoxicosis, with prominent jaundice.

 

Source: MSU Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health

[Pipedream Farm]

Latest news release.

 

Recall Notice

 

 

December 21, 2005 Diamond Pet Food Product Recall Notification The following Items with best buy date codes between March 1st 2007 and June 10th 2007 with an 11th or 12th digit ?G? are not to be sold. These are out of our Gaston Facility only! All customers please stop feeding these items if you are currently. Recalled Items ...

 

View Complete Article

Mark

[NancyO]

Mark,

is there any way to tell if your dogs might be affected before symptoms occur?

Nancy O

[Pipedream Farm]

Nancy,

 

I don't think there's any way to know until there are symptoms.

 

Mark

[Cindy Evans]

I just went through this with my dog. She quit eating. There were no other symptoms. After the second day of not eating I took her to the vet. She likes to eat so I knew something was wrong. Her liver enzymes were off the chart. All other blood work was normal. The vet said she had ingested something toxic. We don't know what she got, or how she got it, and never will.

 

We treated with antibiotics and vitamin E. She will be on Sam-E for the rest of her life more than likely. I am lucky and she is going to be fine. I can handle giving her a pill daily.

 

If you are worried take your dog in and have blood work done.